The shock closure of Exeter's Clifton Hill sports centre has angered residents who raised a petition to save it. Designed by world famous architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and only opened in 1984, Exeter City Council's ruling Labour administration voted to close the centre in Newtown last week.

Here we talk to Exeter’s other political parties about what they would have done and ask them if it could have been saved.

Clifton Hill was severely damaged by the snow in March and the council said that the cost of repairing the building was estimated to be in the region of £700,000 and would have taken up to a year to complete.

Watch above: Campaigners led by Mark Turner capture drone footage of the roof, revealing the patching job done so far

The money made from the sale will be pumped into Wonford Sports Centre, Exeter Arena and ISCA Centre and Riverside Leisure Centre - plus a budget of £3m would be spent enhancing those facilities.

Read More

The council also says that many of Clifton Hill’s facilities will be replaced by the controversial St Sidwell’s Point Swimming Pool and Leisure complex scheduled for opening in December 2020.

How St Sidwell's Point might look

But opposition councillors had criticised the decision and called for Clifton Hill sports centre to be saved.

IN BRIEF: The decision to shut Clifton Hill

Clifton Hill would have cost council almost £1m to repair

The council say that the cost of repairing the building was estimated to be in the region of £700,000 and would have taken up to a year to complete. It is said many of Clifton Hill’s facilities will be replaced by the controversial St Sidwell’s Point Swimming Pool and Leisure complex scheduled for opening in December 2020.

Student flats won’t be built at Clifton Hill

Accommodation for students has been popping up all over Exeter in the past few years but that won’t be happening at Clifton Hill. Councillors have backed the selling of the site - including the driving range and ski centre - for residential accommodation. This actively excludes purpose-built student accommodation.

Budget gyms are hitting council leisure venues hard

Numerous cheap gyms have popped up across Exeter in the past couple of years and it’s having an impact on the city council’s offering. The report referred to tonight cited that “the recent influx of budget gyms (offering modern facilities at discounted fees) and now the damage to Clifton Hill Sports Centre has, and may continue to have, a negative impact on the quality and value of membership at council facilities.”

Riverside’s fire damaged swimming pool will reopen

Another of Exeter’s leisure centres - Riverside - was badly damaged by a fire in February 2017. The swimming pool has been closed ever since but the report states that it will finally be up and running again in September. This factored into the decision because there will exist another leisure centre offering.

£3m will be spent doing up the city’s other leisure centres

Members also backed £2m to be spent making enhancements and upgrades to the fabric of the buildings at Exeter Arena and ISCA Centre, Wonford Sports Centre and Riverside Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre. Enhancements to the interior and facilities at these venues will cost an extra £880,000, while £150,000 could be spent on new gym equipment.

So we asked the other parties how they would have handled the controversial decision and this is what they say:

Greens: 'We support local campaigners who have fought to keep it open'

Cllr Chris Musgrave, the sole Green Party councillor who sits on the council, said that his party would have undergone a full public consultation exercise over the closure of Clifton Hill Sports Centre before committing to sell it off, had his party been in control of the council.

Read More

Cllr Musgrave said: “Labour's deeply unpopular decision to close and sell off Clifton Hill Sports Centre is a travesty. The decision was knee-jerk and not properly thought through. We are concerned there hasn’t been a sufficient structural survey to assess the state of the building and the true cost of repairing any damage. The Green Party would have committed to a full public consultation before making this decision.

“We support local residents who have campaigned to keep this important community asset open to the public and would have engaged with them on the best way forward. Not only have residents been badly let down by Labour they have been seriously misled. The important indoor games areas provided at Clifton Hill will not be incorporated into the St Sidwell's Point facility, if it ever gets built. There are no plans for such facilities in this development meaning yet again residents lose out.

Damaged caused by Storm Emma to the Clifton Hill sports centre

“We also would have sought to protect and extend the green space around the site which will now likely end up as housing. Most importantly, Green’s believe that the revenue from Council owned facilities like Clifton Hill is better off in Council budgets, not private pockets.”

Read More

Lib Dems: 'We wouldn't have got in this financial mess'

Cllr Kevin Mitchell , the lone Liberal Democrat on the council, said that his party would have found themselves in this situation had they been in charge.

Cllr Mitchell said: “'When the Liberal Democrats were the administration we set up an all-party working group which recommended the building of a new swimming pool adjacent to the Exeter Arena and the creation of a sports village. When Labour took control back they rejected this potential plan and have instead saddled themselves with an extremely expensive scheme on a City Centre site.

“We would not have got ourselves into the situation the current administration have and therefore would have had the funds through grants from national bodies, plus money from the Community Infrastructure Levy and New Homes Bonus to ensure a viable scheme occurred and also ensured funds were available to ensure our existing Leisure centres could be repaired.”

Damage after Storm Emma to Clifton Hill sports centre

Read More

Tories: 'We would have maintained it and not wasted £5m on St Sidwell's Point'

Cllr Andrew Leadbetter , the leader of the Conservative opposition on the council, said that his party would have not have faced a budgetory black hole in fixing the centre as they would have had the money to do so.

He said: "We would have maintained it and had the money to spend on repairs if needed as we wouldn't have wasted £5m on St Sidwell's Point, it is as simple as that.

"We will continue to fight this and we would not be cutting services but would be increasing them."

At last week’s full council meeting, Cllr Leadbetter had proposed that the decision should be delayed for further information and consultation to take place.

He said: “Why can’t some of the £3m spent on other leisure centres be used on Clifton Hill. I asked the Executive to pause on the decision and carry out some proper consultation and consider carrying out the repairs.

“We have priorities and a certain amount of money. We have money to spend if it wishes. It should spent its money on its assets. Clifton Hill sports centre should not be falling down. It was second only to Riverside and was thriving. It is down to 7-800 members but is still second most used facility in the city.”

Read More

Repairs to Clifton Hill would cost almost £1m, would take up to a year and not expand the lifespan of the building, councillors had been told as part of the recommendations for why the centre should be closed.

Exeter City Council: 'It was built in 1984 and only meant to last 25 years'

Council director Jo Yelland , explaining the recommendation for closure, said that the sports centre, which was built in 1984, was only ever meant to last for 25 years.

She added that membership numbers and income for the centre were declining – down 20 per cent in 2016-2017 and occupancy levels in the sports hall were between 25 and 27 per cent - significantly below industry benchmarks of 60-70 per cent in peak times, and that the operator has been running the centre at a loss.

Ms Yelland said: “The centre already outlived its expected life span by 10 years. The roof is now beyond repair and the estimated cost of replacement is around £1million.

"It would take around a year, will not extend expected lifespan, and St Sidwells Point, in the same ward, is set to open in December 2020.”

Leader of the council, Cllr Pete Edward s, said: “The building is the main thing and that building is falling down with the roof gone – the only thing to do is tear it down. We have a new sports centre at St Sidwells point coming soon.”

He admitted that maybe three or four years ago the council should have replaced the roof, but to do so, he added: “We might have had to cut the museum or whatever. Money is limited and only so much we can do with it.”

Read More

Cllr Phil Bilayk said: “This has come as a bitter situation to us all and certainly not one that we dreamed up. It did feature in our plans going forward for the interim, so we are down to a position of what to do now. The immediate problem is the loss of the facility at this moment in time and this could not have come at a worse time for us, but we need to deal with it.

“It is not to say I dismiss all the concerns of the local community, as I don’t. If there is a demand from that for a sports hall in the city centre, we will then address it then.”

Read More

Rumours on social media that there were already plans in place to close Clifton Hill prior to the snowfall event have been denied by the council.

But at the executive meeting, Cllr Rosie Denham had said: “Knowing what we know now, at some point, we would have been asked to consider the closure of Clifton hill. It is not to say we would have made the decision, but would have been asked to consider it.”